Ringer and secret-service device.



J. G. & C. A. NEFF. RINGER AND swam" SERVICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNBZ, 1909. 1 1 08,847 Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

4 SHEETQFSKEET 1.

l. G. & CIA. NEFP.

EINGER AND SECRET SERVICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1909.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

H, F, l

J. G. & G. A. NEPF.

RINGER AND SECRET SERVICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1909.

1,108,847. Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ML... g lllllllllllllll lq ap: m. s

J. G. & C. A. NEFF.

RINGER AND SECRET SERVICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1909.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

gmmvtow I certain new aiit'l .llmger ar d,;-Seo

PATENT QFFlCE.

JOHN'G. NEFF-AND CHAR-LES A. NEFF, OFIDAVEY, N B ASKA.

Emerge Ann sEcRE'r-sE vIoE Dav es; 1

313g. it l tnown th atw Camera-1s A; l\

StateS, residing It-I) inf t he 'coii iitj I Lair seine of h el as "hm nvented e ii .t fierrige "De. 1 es jand we do herebyaleitlairethe following tb bea full clear, and description 'otthe" in' vention; such aswill enable otliei'ssliilled' in the art to whiol itappgertains to-ittakfafi'd itse' samew Thisiniehti iit relates "to aiqihaa ap 'fl' ratus and has Qspeoial reference to what is preferably terii'ied; a rnigenan d secretlserv u sy ee l 1 A t l i F i. i n V vide; a. novel jinechanisni so that only;

ing of butol e ot the telephones a' p arty open the speakifi party linetelep e which may ibeus'ed ineonneotion with the ordinary farm t'elep hone. I I

A fourth objeet of the invention is to proride a novel form of apparatus in which all I the otherjnirties on the telephone system will be Warned of the use'of one of the tele phones and betiotifiedot tthat' telephon is in use sothat they will notjansnier their own telephone when the desii'ed telephone? is called but only' the proper party will answer theltelephone.

With the abo'i 'e and other objects in View,

the invention eonsi'sts in genera'l'o'f astep :by

novel detailsoffconstruetion and coi'nhinations of partshe reinafter fully described,

illustrated in the aecompanyi'ng 'diaWings, and speo ticallji 'set' forth in the elai'n'is.

In the aeeompan'ying drawings, like ehar-' 'acters of refereneeindi'cate like parts in the Speeili cation of Letters Patent. i 'IlpiilidtiOtl filed une 2 190 Patented Ar e. 25, 1914.

9. Serial No.499,644.=

( -m'ati'o 'view partly in elevation showing the general arrangement of wiring of a system as used j in co'nne'etion "with this invention. x Fig. 2 is a front elevation of phone equipped with thissystem, the front being removed-to show the"working parts. l 3 is a'detailed'side elevation partly in 50(2- j t'i'on of a portion of -the step by step meeha-. nism, the seotion'being-talten on the line 3 30f Fig. 2. Fig. t is a detailed section it'aken on theline' 4% of Fig; 3. Fig. 5 is a similar detail taken on the line 5-5 of 3'. Fig; 6 'isa' VieW of the indicator dial f used on the outside of the device, together "with the pointer." Fig.7 is a diagrammatic 'i 'iew of a' telephone circuit construeted in aeeoi'dance' with our invention.

It is to be understood that in Fight the diagram there shown 15 merely indicative of one form of wiring-adapted to be 'used in 1 connection w th this invention;

Inasmuch asthere' are various "forms of wiring used with the ordinary telephone, and this invention is capable of being used .in connection with anyone ofthese forms. only that portion of the diagram relating to this invention will be described.

The apparatus usedfor accomplishing the purpose of this invention is as follows: The 'nmneratlO indicates the casing of. an ordinary telephone. This telephone is here Shown as equipped With-the usual transmitter 12, receiver 11 andimagneto bell 1 Abovethe casing 10 i's-a back hoard H and upon this back board-is mounted a frame 15 whereon'is' supported a pair of magnets l Pivotally mounted as' atl't' is an armature 18 provided with an extended arm 19. Upon the frame 15 is mounted a bracket '20 wherein is supported a shaft 21. Supported on the outer end of the arm 19 is a pawl 23 provided with a Hat portion 2%. Attached to' a hrat'ket secured to the frame l?) is a spring 26, the free end of which bears against the flat portion Q l of the pawl 33. The pawl 23 has two arms, one. of \\lli(ll is always in engagementwith one of the teeth of the ratchet 22 so that said ratchet is posi- 'tively locked at all-times. It will be thus observed that when the armatuie 19 is at traeted by the magnets 16 the pawl 23 will be lifted as a whole from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 22 and that. when will cause the pawl to be returned to ensereral view-stand; Figure 1 is a diagra'nr gagement. with the teeth of said ratrhet. and

the magnets are deenergized, the spring 90 in so doing one of the arms will engage the tooth above the one which it had previously left, and thereby rotate said ratchet one step. At the same time the other arm of the pawl will engage a tooth and form a stop to limit such step by step movement.

A sleeve 27 is secured to the shaft 21 and upon this sleeve is provided a collar 28. Fixedly mounted on the sleeve 97 is a plate 29 provided with a fixed pin 30. Slidably and rotatably mounted on the sleeve 27 is a plate 31 provided with a fixed pin 32. A spring 33 is provided between the plate 31 and the collar 28 so that the plate 31 is normally pressed in the direction of the plate 2 The plate 29- is provided with a series of perforations 34 any one of which is adapted to receive the pin 32 according as the plate 31 is pushed in and revolved so that the pin 39 comes opposite one of the perforations of the plate 29. By this means the pin 32 may be set any number of steps from the pin 30, the number of perforations 3t being equal in number to the teeth on the ratchet 2). Upon the shaft 21 is also mounted a. plate 35 having a fixed pin 36 secured thereto.

Upon the bracket is formed an arm 37 and between the bracket and this arm is supported a shaft 38. To the shaft 38 is secured a bent lever 39, one arm of which is upwardly curved as at 40 and is adapted to contact with the pins and 32 as the shaft 21 is rotated. The other arm of the lever 39 is re-bent as indicated at 41 and is provided on the re-bent end with an insulated block or head 42. Upon the receiver fork i3 mounted a plunger 44 which ex tends up and is adapted to strike the block 4-3 whenever the same is in position thereover. The parts 42 and 44 are normally kept out of cooperative relation by means of a spring 45. one end of which is secured to the arm and the other end to the frame 26. Upon the frame '20 is also mounted a resilient pawl 46 adapted to engage the ratchet 22 and prevent the same from being turned backward.

At 47 a resilient contact finger and at 48 another finger adapted to coact therewith upon contact with the pin 36 with the first mentioned finger.

At 49 is another resilient contact finger and at 50 still another, a third finger 51 being positioned' between the last two fingers for purposes that will hereinafter he described. These last three contact fingers are so arranged that when the arm 46 of the lever 39 is struck by one of the pins 116 or 32. the block or head 4'3 will lie eneath the contact fingers at the free ends thcroofi. From the contact finger 51 a wire leads to a ground 53. Connecting the irouud wire 52 with the fork 43 is a wire 5-1. Extending from a contact 55 adapted passes hack to the transmitter.

to be struck by the fork 43 is a line wire 56. Fxtending from a similar contact 57 to the receiver 11. is a wire 58. Extending from the receher 11 to the resilient finger 49 is a wire 59 and extending from the resilient finger 50 is a line wire 60.

At 61 is indicated a transformer connecting the receiver and transmitter circuits and the line circuits. In the transmitter circuit, which includes the ordinary battery 6'), the current goes through the transmitt-er 12, through the wire 62', to the primary coil 61 of the transformer and from thence through the batteries to the wire 56 and from thence through the contact to the wire 63 through which it The impulses formed in this circuit are transmitted to the receiver 11 and to the line circuit by a circuit which extends from the receiver through the wire 58, through the contacts 57 and 55 to the wire 56, from thence through the secondary coil 61 of the transformer and from thence through the wire 60, and the contact pins 49, 50 and 51 to the wire 59, through which it passes back to the receiver.

At 62 is indicated a wire leading from the transmitter to the line Wire 56 and at 63 is the ground wire of the transmitter. A wire 64 extends from one end of the magnet winding 16 to the magnet of the magneto bell 13 and a wire 65 extends from the other end of the winding of the magnet 16 to the finger 48.

'At 66 is indicated a pair of resilient contact fingers which are located on the switchboard of the central station.

At 67 is the usual ringing jack provided with a contact-finger 68 and receiving its current from a battery or the like as indicated at 69. Extending from one of the contact fingers 66 is a wire 70 leading to the wire 64 and from the other contact finger a wire 71 leads to the wire 65.

The end of the shaft 21 extends through the casing and is provided with dial 72 fixed on said shaft having a series of numbers 73 arranged therearound equal in number to the number of notches on the ratchet 22. A pointer 73 is fixedly mounted on the casing above dial 71.

Before any of the telephones have been rung the parts are in the position indicated in Fig. 1, that is to say the pin 30 is in contact with the arm 40, the plug 42 lies underncath the free ends of the fingers 49, 50 and 51 and the pin 36 has closed the contact between the fingers 47 and 48. Under these circumstances, if a person desires to call the central station, he removes the receiver from the fork and the fork 43 will rise. This will carry with it the-plunger 44 and close the circuit through the fingers 49, 50 and 51, thus permitting the central station to be called in the usual manner. Now let it be supposed that some other telephone is rung and it is desired to call a certain station on a party line equipped with this device. In the present instance the pin 32 is indicated as being immediately adjacent the pin 30, which is the position in which the pin 32 would be placed for the first station or number 1. Theeentral operator receiving the call inserts the jack 67 between the fingers 66 and presses upon the button (38. This moves the various lugs 12 out from beneath the ends of the ingers 49, 50, and 51, but the plug 42 at station number 1 is immediately moved back by the action of the pin 32. At the same time the pin 36 closes the circuit through the fingers 48 and 47. This will close a circuit from the battery (39 through one side of the ack 67, one of the fingers 66, wire 70, wire 64, magneto 13, a wire 74: connecting the magneto with the finger 4:7, finger 48, a wire 75 connecting the finger 48 with the wire 71, and back through the wire 71 to the other one of the fingers (36, jack (37 and battery 69. This will cause the magneto bell 13 to be rung and the bell will continue ringing as long as the finger (38 is depressed. It will be apparent that the movement of the ratchet 22 is accomplished by the depression of the armature 18 as is usual in electrical step by step movements. Now when the person called hears his bell ring in this manner, he answers by removing the receiver 11 from the fork 43. This permits the plunger 44 to rise in the manner previously described and i 'ries of telephones. a transmitter fork at closes the circuit through the fingers 49, and 51. If, however, any other person removes their receiver and attempts to listen to the conversation, the fingers 49, 50 and 51 will not be brought into contact for the reason that the plug 42 will be out of alinement with the ends of the fingers and the plunger 4-4: so that the removing of the receiver from the fork will fail to establish the circuit desired.

It is obvious that the pins 36 and 39 must be so positioned that the telephone corresponding to the number of steps which the pin 32 is removed from the pin 30 will be rung. It will also he OlOVlOHS that as each telephone is rung the same will be indicated on the dial 72 and that as the various pins 36 move past the fingers 47 and 48 they will momentarily close the circuit and ring the magneto bell 13 one or two strokes. By means of this dial it will be obvious to any person ap uoachmg the telephone when another telephone on the same party line is in m use that the system is being used so that they flow through wire 70, magnet 16, wire and thence back through wire 71 to the jack. Simultaneously a parallel circuit will be closed through wires 64, bell 13, wire 74, through contact fingers 47 and 48, through wire 75, and thence through wire 71 back to the jack. There has thus been provided a simple and etficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form and construction of this invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the kind described. a series of telephones, a step by step mechanism for each of said telephones, a common normally open circuit for all of said step by step mechanisms. :1 central station, means at said central station to close all of said step by ste J mechanisms, means actuated by the several step by step mechanisms to close the signal circrit successively at the several tclephones, talking circuit closing elements at each of said telephones, and means at each of said telephones operable by said step by step mechanisms to successively place said circuit closing elements in operative position.

2. In a. device of the kind described, a seeach of said telephones, a step by step mechanism for each of said telephones, a common normally open circuit for all of said mechanisms, a central station, means at said central station to close the. circuit through all of said step by step mechanisms, means actuated by the several step by step mechanisms to close the signal circuit successively at the several telephones, a talking circuit closing element supported on said receiver fork, a second talking circuit closing element movable into and out of operative re lation to the first element at each of said telephones, and means at each of said telephones opcrablc by said step by step mechanisms to successively place the second clement in operative relation to the first and permit the closing of said talking circuit successively at the several telephones.

3. In a device of the kind described. a series of telephones each provided with a recciver fork. a step by step mechanism for each of said telephones, a common normally open circuit for all of said step by step mechanisms. a ccntral station. means at said central station to sinmltmicously close the circuit through all of said step by step mechanisms, a shaft rotated by said step by step mechanisms, a disk on said shaft, a pin projecting from said disk, a circuit closer in the path of and operable by each of said pins, said circuit closers forming a part of said signal cir uit, said pins being displaced in step by step relation around the several disks to successively close the signal circuit at the successive telephones, a talking circuit closing clement carried by each of said receiver forks, a second talking circuit closing element at each of said telephones movable into operative relation to the first mentioned talking circuit closing element and means at each of said telephones operable by said step by step mechanisms to successively place the second talking circuit elements in operative position with relation to the first talking circuit closing elements.

4. In a device of the kind described, a series of telephones each provided With a receiver fork, a step by step mechanism for each of said telephones, a common normally open circuit for all of said step by step mechanisms, a central station, means at said central station to simultaneously close all of said step by step mechanisms, a shaft rotated by said step by step mechanisms, a disk on said shaft, a pin projecting from said disk, a circuit closer in the path of and operable by each of said pins, said circuit closers forming a part of said signal circuit, said pins being displaced in step by step relation around the several disks to successively close the signal circiut at the successive telepl'iones, a talking circuit chasing element carried by each of said receiver forks, a second talking circuit closing element at each of said telephones movable into operative relation to the first mentioned talking circuit closing element, a second disk carried by and rotating with said shaft, a pin on said second disk normally holding the second element in operative relation to the first element, a second pin carried by said second disk, each of said second pins being in stepped relation successively throughout the several telephones, and means supporting the second circuit closing element at each of closing element, said means being arranged to be simultaneously freed from all of the first mentioned pins and successively struck by the second mentioned pins of the successive telephones.

In a device of the kind described, an electrically actuated step by step mechanism, a shaft rotated thereby, a disk rigidly mounted on said shaft provided With a series of openings concentrically arranged therearound, a circuit closing: element, means for su 'iporting the same, a pin projecting from said disk normally in cont-act with said means, a second disk slidably and rotatably held upon said shaft, a pin fixed on said second disk adapted to be projected through one of said openings, and a spring normally forcing the second disk toward the first.

6. In a device of the kind described, an electrically actuated step by step mechanism, a shaft rotated thereby, a disk rigidly mounted on said shaft provided with a series of openings concentrically arranged therearound, a circuit closing element, means for supporting the same, a pin projecting from said disk normally in contact with said means, a second disk slidably and rotatably held upon said shaft, a pin fixed on said second disk adapted to be projected through one of said openings, a spring normally forcing the second disk toward the first, a third disk rigidly mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, a pin projecting therefrom, a signal circuit, a circuit closer in said signal circuit in the path of said pin, and a signal adapted to be actuated when the circuit is closed by said pin contacting with said circuit closer.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. NEFF.

CHARLES A. NEFF.

Witnesses E. N. CIIRISTIANSON, HENRY FOERSTER. 

